Dragon Days
by Dark Angel's Blue Fire
Summary: Balise Harman Vs Phil North...The Battle lines are drawn in the race to find the Dragons who will win out in the end?
1. Chapter One: Hiding With Help

Ok as much as i would love it to be true i do not own the Night World it belongs to L.J.Smith and i only own the characters you don't reconise and the plot...I won;t do anything to them i swear...

Hope you guys enjoy it...Here it is...

Dragon Days

Chapter one: Hiding With Help

The hunt was on. Circle Daybreak were hunting for the leader of the dragons. The leader that had been awakened. That meant trouble. Blaise Harman had been the one assigned to this case. She was one of the two last remaining direct descendants of Grandma Harman who had been killed before the Solstice.

Blaise had been shocked when she had been chosen to chase up this assignment that had been placed top priority since Keller and Galen had reported a hidden alliance. She had thought one of the other longer serving agents or even her cousin Thea Harman would have been assigned but Thierry had specifically put her in charge and that he had that kind of trust in her humbled her usual stony exterior.

Thierry had been adamant that he wanted a witch on this assignment because the dragons had supposedly been woken up and it was the witches that had the power to put them back to sleep.

Blaise had taken this assignment on her own for the moment so that her movements were harder to track. Thierry had supported her decision and said that Poppy, James, Thea and Eric were on stand by when she needed them. Now she was out for information.

Blaise had left Las Vegas earlier that day after listening to Lupe. She couldn't believe somewhere in the organisation there was a mole! Did they want the Night World and eternal darkness to succeed? They obviously didn't know what was coming.

Kaitlin did. She had seen it.

She was the key.

The leader of the Wild Powers and she had seen what was coming and it had done nothing but strengthen her resolve to win.

Blaise was with her there. There was nothing else she hated more than to lose. She was going to win this fight if it was the last thing she did. Which if she was honest it very well could be.

Kaitlin and the other Wild Powers were now preparing to go into hiding. Kaitlin had put up a fight but her soulmate Nilsson had finally talked her round. Before Blaise had set out Kaitlin had come to her and told he to be careful. She said the dragons were strong and the leader the strongest of them all.

Kaitlin had given her a piece of amber on a sliver chain and had said, "It's for luck. Be careful Balise please."

Balise touched the amber now as she drove through a small town. She had been touched by the gift. Blaise liked jewellery she often created her own but she had decided that Kaitlin's positively charged crystal was probably the best she could get. Kaitlin was after all descendent from those dragons and were powers were like Daybreak had never seen. Kaitlin had more than Blue Fire.

She drove out of Las Vegas and wasn't sure where she should head. She knew that Daybreak was going to ground. Before she had set off Quinn, Rashel, Ash and Mary-Lynette had gone in separate cars heading running from the Night World. Bliase guessed they would head for California and head towards San Diego or San Francisco Thierry had safe houses and properties over there that only Daybreak agents used. Kaitlin had been the last of the four Wild Powers to leave. They were headed for a destination only the four wild powers and their soul mates, Thierry and Hannah were aware of. Daybreak's security was ten fold what it had been before. It was good before but now the organisation was like Fort Knox all because of one individual.

Bliase felt the same anger rise within her. How could someone do this? Did they want the end of the world to come? But then it was probably that they believed the lies of the Night World. She herself had once been among them.

She had once been of the Night World. She had once hurt humans. Human boys. Watched as under her spell and under her beauty they all cracked. Blaise had watched for the 'pop' as she called it. The boys were never the same after it.

She shook the memories of Randy, Troy, Kevin, Luke and so many others had been 'popped' or hurt by her antics.

Then Thea had fallen in love. With a human boy. Eric Ross. A boy Balise had thought would be so easy to break to stop him killing her cousin. Her sister. But everything she tried had just pushed Thea and Eric closer together.

She shook her head. She didn't do that anymore. She fought all the people who did that to people. She became an agent to make up for it.

She cleared her head of pictures of Randy crying blood because of the crescent shapes he had cut in his cheeks. She pretended she hadn't cared but she had been horrified. She loved playing with them but that had gone too far.

She hadn't meant for him to be totally mindless. He had nearly hurt someone else.

All your fault Balise

_All your fault._

And now she had to make up for it.

Because seeing Eric and Thea together had shown her that Humans were the same as the Night People. They had the same emotions and same ideals and dreams. They were just physically less able to express themselves.

The Night People had that ability and some Balise included had flaunted it. So Daybreak was her penance. And she wouldn't let go until she had changed one life for every life she destroyed.

Thinking of all the schools she had been excluded from and all the lives she had destroyed she knew it was going to take some time.

She shook her head and concentrated on driving. Keller and Galen had battled the dragon in North Carolina but somehow Balise didn't think that was were the leader of the dragons was going to be.

She didn't know how she knew. She just knew it wasn't. She thought of what Mother Cybele had said and what Keller had said.

"_A witch who is not a witch we've made our own alliance." _

She repeated the sentence that had plagued her and all of Daybreak for months. Now it was her job to figure it out.

She drummed her fingers on the steering wheel as she drove the car steadily out of Nevada. It was then that she saw it. The none descript car. The license plate was the same as the one that had been following her since she had took the first turning to leave Las Vegas.

She glanced in the mirror and flicked her hair to cover the fact she was checking out the driver. They looked like Night People and Balise realised she had a tail.

She automatically changed her plans. Wherever she had been going she wasn't now and changed lanes and took the first turn off to leave the highway. The car followed her.

Damn. She thought what now.

Her cell phone rang and she put her earpiece in and said "Balise." "Balise where are you?" It was her cousin. She looked at the clock and swore. She felt Thea smile. "So you know why I'm calling." "I missed my check in again didn't I?" Balise said closing her eyes briefly and took another turning the car turning at the same point.

Now she knew she was in trouble.

Hell. Hell. Hell.

"Thea I've got a tail." She said into the earpiece she knew she could about all this on the phones. Thierry had given all the agents phones that where secure lines. Brand new technology not on the market. New phones that couldn't be hacked even by the smartest of hackers.

"What?" Thea said her voice shaking with new awareness. "This car has been following me from when I left Las Vegas." Balise said plainly. "But you left for your location nearly three hours ago. You took the round about path as it was!" Thea said, "I know. And they've followed me all the way. I'd seen it a couple of times on the road but it's the highway. It could have been going anywhere."

"But it's never been off my ass for the past half hour. They're defiantly Night People." She checked the mirror. Yep. Defiantly. Shifters.

Hell.

Thea said "Balise where are you?" Balise watched a sign go past "El Camino" She read from the sign as she passed.

"That's where James and Poppy used to live."

Thea said at once. "I am well aware of that." Balise said as she followed the flow of traffic into the main street. The car lost her. She knew she needed to get away while they couldn't see her. "I do know where my cousin lived." She said sarcastically. She pulled into a residential area and pulled the car into a gap between the houses.

The tail went straight past. "I've lost them." She breathed a sigh of relief. "Good work Balise." Balise heard her cousin smile. "Looks like I'm hiding out in El Camino for a few hours." She said with cheer she didn't feel.

Balise always had been good at hiding her thoughts.

"I'm ditching the car until later. I'll check in, in an hour." "Okay be careful." Thea cut the connection and Balise breathed in and released a long breath. It was a good job she hadn't intended to go straight for the old burial ground, which was somewhere back east.

She got out of the car and locked it. She'd see if that car was anywhere in sight. She should move now but she wanted to keep a clean slate that tail had got the jump on her and she didn't like it.

She put on a pair of designer sunglasses on and walked out of her hiding place. She felt the pull almost immediately. There was a witch somewhere nearby.

Across the road.

She looked up. There was a group of boys laughing and joking on the other side of the road. One of them? She needed a friend around here. But then it was likely that they could still be affiliated with the Night World.

Thea hadn't mentioned any witches in El Camino apart from Gisele who was still very much a Night Worlder. The club therefore was a no go. Well. She could pretend but not if those shifters were there.

She had just decided that it just wasn't worth the risk when the five lads were over the road and around her.

The Balise fever had stuck again. She did not need this right now. "Not seen you around here before." One of the lads said "Are you new?" "Err. No not exactly I'm visiting my aunt and uncle." Balise said the lie easily.

"I'm just passing through." "Oh babe that's a shame." One of them joked and Balise smiled. All of the lads grinned back at her apart from one.

The blond one. He was tall, Viking-blond and handsome with striking green eyes. He was looking at her not, like the others with obvious interest but with obvious distrust. He'd said nothing.

She reached out and tired to find any source of magic but all she found was a brick wall. She was shocked. Her grey eyes met his green ones and as if realising what she was doing his eyes narrowed.

Her curiosity was captured. He didn't feel like a witch. There was nothing magical about him. But…there was something…

"Balise Harman." She introduced herself

"Gary Campbell" The mouthy one said "and these are my mates Carter Dawson," The sandy haired one grinned "Matt Anderson." The black haired one grinned "and this is Phil North." He indicated to the blond haired one.

_Wait a minute!_

Balise thought her mind going into over drive _Phil North? Poppy's brother? _

She looked at Phil again and said before she could stop herself "You're Poppy's brother." Everyone went silent and Phil went pale.

_Oh No! _Balise you daft idiot _now look what you've done!_

Phil eyed her with obvious hate and then his eyes became huge with understanding. "You're James' cousin." Balise nodded and then Phil smiled "I haven't seen James around I hear he's staying with your aunt for a couple of months how is he?"

Balise was lost for words. Phil had just covered her blunder like it was a walk in the park. "Where is James is he coming to visit his parents?" They both knew the answer to that and Balise said "No. He's attending high school with me in Las Vegas. Hs parents thought a change would do him good."

They all knew what she was talking about. But no one mentioned it. Poppy's 'death.' Then he turned to the guys and said "I'll catch up with you later. I'm gonna walk Balise back to her aunts." No one argued with him.

Phil North was not the same person he had been before his twin's death. He was still easy to talk to, still star of the school but they knew he needed to talk to Balise James wasn't around and they knew James had felt bad about Poppy's death.

When they had gone Phil turned to look at her and said, "Are they ok?" "Yes. I didn't mean to scare you. It's just you're like her." Phil laughed, "I'm as different from her as I can get. We were different before but now." He sighed. "No. I don't mean like that."

Balise trying to find the words. Oh my god! What was happening to her? She was getting tongue tied around a guy. _That _was defiantly a first. Guys were usually the ones to get tongue-tied. But Phil looked perfectly at ease.

"Look," Phil said, "I know what you mean." He grabbed her elbow and steered her across the road and talked low. "But James said that as long as I left you all alone you wouldn't come near me so what's the deal?"

Balise wasn't sure what the deal was. She looked up at Phil. He was looking at her with his arms crossed waiting patiently for an answer. "Things have changed." Balise found herself saying.

"With the Night World I mean." She said then she and Phil glanced around and she said "look I think you need to know this stuff since your sister is involved and I kind of need a place to hide out for while so is there anywhere we can talk a while?"

Phil nodded "My parents aren't in we can talk there." He guided her to his house.

Phil couldn't understand why he was doing it.

He'd known she was a Night Worlder on sight. She walked with the same ease as James and Poppy did. Total control and confidence and it made her stick out. Especially if you knew what you were looking for.

He didn't want to be part of that world that James and Poppy were apart of but this girl, he was attracted to her. He wasn't sure it was sexual attraction; god knew she was beautiful enough to have that effect. It was something else that compelled him to talk to her.

He shut the door and they walked into the living room. "Phil I know you don't want to hear this but I need help." Balise couldn't believe she'd said the words but that didn't make them any less true.

She had known as soon as she had discovered she had a tail. She knew she was in more trouble than she bargained for and although she had Daybreak to back her up she needed outside help.

She needed to get out of El Camino without leaving a trace to follow. "No. I'm sorry Balise but I won't become apart of that world. I don't belong there like you do." "But you're a witch!" She said desperately. "All witches belong to the Night World." "I'm a lost witch." Phil corrected "that means I can live normally with my friends."

"Your sister is part of that world!" Balise said and wondered why it was so important for him to help her. What was going on with her she was usually so cool. It was like the old Balise Harmen had disappeared replaced by someone else.

"My sister is a vampire. And had she not been she would have died. My sister isn't part of my life any more." Phil said and Balise could feel the pain radiating off him as he said this.

"But Phil she needs you!" The words tumbled from her mouth before Balise could stop them. "What do you mean?" Phil demanded suddenly. "I thought you said they were ok!" "They are but…" Could she tell him? She searched for the words when there was a knock at the door.

Phil jumped a foot in the air and dived for the window. He looked out and swore. "Hide!" He said "Why?" She asked "Night People. Go!" She didn't need telling twice.

Phil calmed his nerves and went to the door. He opened it and two boys stood there. "Hey," He said casually. "Hey, do you know a Blaise Harman?" They said "The Crone's granddaughter? Shouldn't every witch?" Phil laughed, the shifters started and said "which circle?" Phil pulled his dahlia off his coat and said "Twilight."

"Oh, she's meant to be in town have you seen her?" "No, sorry guys. Besides Blaise is the party animal isn't she? What would she want here in El Camino?" "Good point. Sorry to bother you. If you see her will you call us. We want to hook up." Phil smiled "Sure."

He closed the door and called to Balise "You can come out now." Balise walked back in from her hiding place in the kitchen. "So you're not a witch huh?" She asked smiling shakily. "Ok fine. So a lot of Night Worlders have been coming through here lately looking for James and his bastard of a cousin Ash. I decided if they thought I was a Night Person they wouldn't push me around."

"After all if I'm one of you I'm not vermin am I?" He smiled grimly and Balise didn't know what to say. For the first time in her life she was speechless and it scared her.


	2. Chapter two: Recruiting A Lost Witch

i dont own Phil and Balise only the plot. Have fun!

Dragon Days

Chapter two: Recruiting A Lost Witch

Blaise stared at Phil and could think of nothing to say. That was another first. _What in goddess' name was wrong with her? _"Well I was." Phil said folding his arms "and its easier dealing with the Night Worlder's this way." "I would guess." Balise said sitting down.

"Now that they've gone you can explain what you're doing here and why my sister needs help." Balise nodded. There was no point keeping it from him. Besides she had discovered that she was further out her depth than she had realised and she needed his help.

Daybreak had gone to ground and the select few that knew about her mission had missions of their own. She could call in Thea and Eric but she didn't think that was a good idea. They were co-ordinating more than one operation and so for the moment she was on her own.

And she didn't want to be.

"If you've been keeping up with the Night Worlders then you'll have probably have heard whispers of Circle Daybreak." Balise said deciding that was probably the best place to start.

Phil regarded Balise Harman with detachment. She acted nothing like the Balise Harman he had heard so much about. She was said to be a party animal and serial dater whose actions caused the guys she was dating to do insane things and many of them never were the same again.

Phil wasn't fooled. It wasn't just her sex appeal although damn it if that wasn't strong enough it was her magic. She was a Harman, one of the witch royalty almost after the Crone, Mother and Maiden. Phil might have told James that he was leaving the Night World alone and he was, but he had also researched it.

The Harmans were the direct line straight from the witch queen Hecate and her daughter Hellewise. And it was a good job he had too because since James had left there had been a lot more Night World activity and Balise was right when he thought about it. He had heard whispers of Circle Daybreak.

Circle Daybreak.

Any mention of it was either met with hostility, no response or in some cases whispers and secretive excitement.

Phil looked at Balise. Now he was confused. What did that have to do with anything? "Yeah, I've heard of Daybreak but what has that got to do with why you're here?"

"Everything." Balise said.

"Daybreak is a separate organisation from the Night World it allows human/Night World relationships something the Night World never allowed. The breaking of the two cardinal rules was always reinforced with death."

Phill heard the words but he was seeing something else entirely. Seeing James and Poppy having to leave. James explaining that he had broken the two most important rules in Night World law.

Over Poppy.

"…In Daybreak its totally different. Our organisation allows human and Night World relationships and believes in the soulmate principal being one of the biggest sources of this type of relationship."

Phil nodded numbly accepting was Balise was saying yet still unsure of what it would mean.

Balise looked at Phil stopping in her lecture about the Night World. He looked Shell-shocked. She couldn't blame him. He had wanted to steer clear of all of this. And he was still getting dragged under.

"This still doesn't explain why you need my help or why Poppy and James might be in danger." He said looking at the floor rather than looking at her. "Daybreak found out about a prophecy." Balise said.

She wondered how would be the best way to break the news and decided to just tell it like it was. She had never been good at being subtle. She had never needed to be and she didn't intend to start now.

"The prophecy was about four teenagers born seventeen years ago. The prophecy said:

_One from the land of kings long forgotten_

_One from the heath, which still holds the spark_

_One from the Day World where two eyes are watching;_

_One from the twilight to be one with the dark _

Those would be the ones that would have the power over Blue Fire and be able to stop the darkness that would engulf the world as the millennium battle approached."

"They would stop an apocalypse." Phil said it wasn't a question. He had figured it out. Balise nodded anyway.

"We found them. One is Jez Redfern she's half human, half vampire. Delos Refern is a vampire prince from the Black Kingdom the longest line of vampires, Illiena is the Witch Child. A direct descendant from Hecate the witch queen herself and the last is Kaitlin Drake. Or Aurora Drache princess of the First House of Shapeshifters. They are all that stand between us and total destruction when the darkness comes. But there are people who want the darkness to come."

"I have to stop them but I can't do it alone. I need help." Phil looked up. "What about your cousin Thea?" Phil asked. "Her and her soulmate Eric are co-ordinating several missions at once, Daybreak has gone to ground. We have a mole four of my friends are on their tail."

"And of you what are you doing?" Phil asked. "I have to go after the dragons. Someone woke them up. I have to stop them." "Dragons?" Phil asked sure he'd heard wrong.

"Yes dragons. The witches and dragons fought thousands of years ago and we managed to put them to sleep. We left one awake and they were the ancestor for the modern day shapeshifters. But now one has woke up and made an alliance with someone they shouldn't have done."

"I have to find out who that is and what it means and put the dragons back to sleep. It's my mission."

Phil felt like his head was about to explode. He didn't want any of this. He didn't want to be part of this. But some part of him reluctantly conceded to the fact that he had been for a long time and now was well in past his depth.

"Why are you telling me this."

The question stopped her. Blaise wasn't sure why she was telling him all this at all. Balise wasn't a person that generally asked for help or even allowed it yet within an hour of knowing this guy she'd split all of her mission.

Yet she trusted him with it.

Startling yet none the less true.

"Because you're the only one who can help me and I need you to help me." Balise said hating herself for asking for help but knowing she would never get through this mission if she didn't.

Phil arched an eyebrow but said nothing. "Please Phil I'll never complete this mission if you don't help me." "What about Poppy and James?" Phil felt compelled to ask.

He and Poppy often spoke over email and on occasion the phone but he hadn't heard from her in a little while.

"Poppy was hurt, not seriously, but enough in the last mission she and James and a few others are on mission control." Phil felt his heart in his mouth.

"Is she ok?" He demanded. Balise had been expecting this and nodded. She is fine now, annoyed that she's been assigned to control duty but otherwise fine."

Phil nodded. That sounded like Poppy never satisfied doing the boring jobs she had to be doing something active.

"Alright." Phil said caving. He knew Balise's reputation. He knew that stood in front of him was the party animal and human hater of the century but right now that was all an image. She needed his help.

El Camino was crawling with Night People looking for her. He couldn't leave her. If she said that this mission was important then it was important. He wouldn't leave her when she obviously needed his help.

This mission sounded important but it was more than that. Phil wasn't sure how he knew that but he did. It was more important to her than anything she'd done before.

"I'll help you."

Balise hardly heard the next few words all she knew was she wasn't a complete failure. She could still do this. She would still do this. And she'd do it with Phil's help.

"Where are we going?" Phil asked.

"North Carolina." Balise said. "What?" Phil asked and then shook his head. "Ok. It's a good job school is out." Balise laughed.

Ten minutes later he left a message for his mum and step-dad that he was going a way for a few days and would be back later. Then he and Balise made their way back to the car.

Balise couldn't believe it. She'd roared into his life without so much as a word of warning but when she'd gone for him for help he'd agreed to help her. Phil drove first taking the winding roads through El Camino to loose any tails they might pick up and then they were on the highway going back towards their destination.

Balise was thankful to him.

He hadn't wanted this.

He hadn't wanted to be part of the Night World but he was helping her. She had recruited the lost witch.


	3. Chapter 3: 360 Degrees TO Death

Hey guys back again! Here is the thrid chapter!

**Disclaimer: **I oen nothing but the plot

Dragon Days

Chapter three: 360 Degrees To Death

Phil came down the stairs with a single bag and said, "Right come on then." Balise nodded feeling edgy. Her senses told her danger was close but she just couldn't be sure. He turned to her and said, "Okay Balise where's the car parked?" Balise had to think for a second. Then it came to her. "Um the first turning after you come into El Camino." Phil nodded and ushered her out the door.

Balise stepped into the bright sunshine pulling down her sunglasses from where they were positioned in her hair to cover her eyes. The last thing she needed was a night person recognising her as soon as she stepped outside the house.

"Don't worry. No one would know a party animal resided under there." Phil grinned. "Oh thanks." Balise said, sarcastically. "You do wonders for my confidence." "I aim to please." Phil shot back.

Balise opened her mouth but closed it at the last second. She didn't need his cockiness right now. She had a job to do and that took priority over his arrogant arse.

She was thankful he had helped her sure, but he didn't have to be so cocky about she would have eventually found a way out herself. She always did. That was why she had been assigned to this assignment in the first place. She was a damn good agent and she could think on her feet.

She didn't need his help.

Yeah.

Right.

Phil turned and looked at her with a look that said he knew exactly what he was thinking. "Unless you want to be seen by your tails I suggest you hurry up." He said in a clipped tone that left no room for arguments.

Balise felt royally put in her place and it wasn't a feeling she enjoyed. She was too used to being the one that made the orders not the one that followed them.

Although she followed Thierry's Orders without question but that was different. Thierry was the leader of Daybreak. Who was this guy to boss her about?

She was on really good terms with James and Poppy but that did not mean she had to be on good terms with her twin.

Her twin knew nothing about the workings of Daybreak and nothing about the Night World other than the bare minimum that allowed him to live without getting in their way.

Her twin knew nothing about the struggle the Night World was experiencing and the fight for survival the People were undertaking.

Every Night Person was drawing battle lines in the sand weather it be for good or bad but everyone was choosing a side and in some cases, almost like in the case of Balsie and Thea it tore families apart.

Luckily Balise had seen sense. It had taken the Death of Grandma Harman at the hands of Shape shifters controlled by the Dragon to do it but she had seen sense.

She had realised they were at war and chosen her side. She had chosen what she knew was right. It didn't mean she was Light. She wasn't and never would be but she knew that she was fighting for the survival of the world.

She would rather be a Daybreaker than someone who knew an apocalypse was coming and did nothing to stop it.

Phil North had no idea of these things yet he looked down his nose at her as if he knew more about the world she lived and fought in.

He had known nothing of this world until 2 years ago when James had revealed his true identity to his best friend and soulmate Poppy, Phil's twin sister.

Poppy had been dying and James, unable to stand his best friend dying had turned her. To the rest of the world Poppy North was dead. To Circle Daybreak and her brother she was the spitfire vampire agent with an attitude.

They walked to the car and without being asked Phil walked up to the driver's seat and motioned to be given the keys.

"Err… I don't think so." Balise said. "Move. My car. I drive. No one drives this car but me."

"Not anymore. The Night World is looking for Balise Harman a girl travelling alone. If I drive there are two of us we might be able to slip under their radar."

Balise knew he had a point but there was no way she was going to just let him get away with it. This was her car and her mission who was he to try and take over?

"Excuse me who do you think you are?" Balise demanded, "Do you even know who I am?" "Of course I do." Phil said shortly. "Balise Harman the witch who thinks she knows everything when she really knows nothing at all."

"How dare you!" Blaise said her voice rising and so was her magic, she could feel it. She'd show him…

"Get down you idiot!" Phil snapped in the second. He ducked behind the car and pulled her with him she toppled down beside him her fingers' giving off sparks that bounced off the car's side.

"Are you trying to get us caught?" Phil snapped. Balise pushed him away from her and sat up. "You prat! What are you doing?" Balise shot back. "Saving your life." Phil said between clenched teeth the Shifters are talking to my team.

"What?" She yelled. Phil put his hand over her mouth. "Shut up!" He yelped. She unlocked the car and said, "Just get in the car."

He slithered round to the divers side of the car and got in the car making sure his sunglasses were in place and gunned the engine.

Balise jumped in and arranged her reflection in the mirror and said, "Well go then. They'll catch us at this rate." "Yes your highness." Phil said in a tone that was both mocking and sarcastic but not enough for her to challenge it.

She did anyway. Who the hell did he think he was? "What is your problem?" She demanded. "What aside from your arrogant, manipulative attitude?" Phil said pulling the car out of their hiding place. "What else could I possibly have a problem with?"

Balise went to open her more to argue but shut it again quickly. She couldn't really argue against that. She used to pride herself on manipulating human boys and didn't care what happened to them. She especially used to love it when they eventually "popped" and where never the same again.

She had been proud of it, bragged about it. Loved it. Loved the attention she used to get.

She could not change it, no matter what she did. She had loved it. It had been her life. She had been arrogant, she had thought she was better than the humans; she had knew she was more powerful. She shook her head.

She had been manipulative but Damn It! She would not apologise for it! Not to a little boy like Phil North. In the end her activities had given her the connections she needed to run through the Night World and get information many could not.

Her old true self proved to be the best identity she could use. What scared her was how easily she slipped in again. She had to claw her way out but slipping in was like coming home. She didn't like it. She didn't like to think what that meant but she couldn't change it.

Damn Phil North for making her think it! Who the hell did he think he was? What was it about this guy that annoyed her so much?

Then she had to shake herself. He had not wanted this. And he had still helped her when she had no one else to turn too. Still, that did not give him the right to preach to her what was right and wrong.

He had no idea what it was like growing up in the Night World. They had mixed with humans because hey _had _to not because they wanted too. She had been taught to distrust humans. They could not reveal their existence to humans in general because they could not handle it.

Look what happened the last time humans thought witches were real last time? Witch-hunts and near extinction. Balise may have not been kind to human boys but she had reason to do what she did.

"What nothing to say?" Phil said looking at her as they moved along the road. "You wouldn't understand." Balise said shortly. "Whatever." Phil said shortly. "You were done to so badly where you that you have reason to cause humans pain."

"Because they hurt us!" Balise snapped. "Oh, please!" "I'd love to know what any of the guys you played with did to you." Balise looked at him.

I know more about you than you think Balise Harman." Phil said quietly. "I know more about the Night World than you can possibly know. I told James that I wanted nothing to do with it but in the end it found me."

He said nothing else and the silence stretched between them Phil drove quietly. Balise suddenly had a thought. "Shit!" Phil looked at her. "What?" "I need to check in with Thea." Balise said. "She'll be frantic." She pulled out her mobile and dialled the number and Thea answered on the first ring.

"Where the hell have you been?" Thea demanded. "You were meant to check in an hour ago!" "I'm sorry I was hiding out. I've got a new partner." Balise smirked as Phil shot her a surprised look. "Who?" Thea said just as surprised.

"Phil North. He helped me in El Camino. He's coming to X with me." They were always careful when trading information even though Thierry's new mobiles were as secure as a CIA satellite.

Signals could be intercepted and codes broken. So they never passed any valuable information freely it was always in code or otherwise.

"Poppy's brother?" Thea asked. Balise could hear the smile in her cousin's voice. "Well, well what do you know? Balise Harman actually admitted to needing help."

"Ha." Balise said quietly. "I'll check in later Thea." "Right. Don't make it too late otherwise I am sending the search teams." Thea said meaning every word.

"I'll try and be punctual." Balise said sarcastically and then softened her tone and said, "Later baby sis." Thea laughed quietly. "Baby sis by 2 minutes. Be Careful. Bye." She hung up and Balise put the phone away.

She felt Phil's eyes on her but she wouldn't meet his gaze. "What?" She demanded. "I do care about some things." Phil looked back at the road and Balise felt like she could breathe again.

What was it about this guy that got her so wound up?

They had been driving for another 10 minutes after Balise's phone call and they had entered desert and where driving along a cliff side road. This time the silence was comfortable. Balise was pouring over a map and Phil was driving his eyes on the road.

Suddenly a car came flying from behind them and Balise's heart was in her throat. "It's the Night People!" She screamed. Phil didn't hesitate he put his foot down on the accelerator and they shot forward.

"Goddess!" Balise said her eyes fixed on the mirror. "They're gaining on us." She gasped. "I won't let anything happen to you." Phil said.

Balise looked at him then. His knuckles where white on the steering wheel and his eyes were fixed on the corner ahead his mouth was in a tight line. "You promise?" Balise found herself asking.

"I promise." Phil said.

The car behind them suddenly sped up and took over them but as they forced their way past on the road they clipped Balise's car. They then shot ahead and round the corner.

But that knock was all it took. At the speed they were going the car began to spin and Balise screamed.

Phil fought to straighten the car but they had already began to spin. "Hold on!" He yelled as he yanked the steering wheel back the other way but the car was spinning towards the edge.

"Goddess!" Balise screamed.

The car spun and Balise saw the edge of road rush towards he and then they were toppling and she saw the ground, so far down seem to get a whole lot closer.

She heard Phil yelling her name then everything went black.


	4. Chapter 4: Death Of An Agent

Wow! I've been away a while what can i say? I haven't got a defence other than my life is busy and i try and update every story i have equally so here it is at last. I think i would have been a bit embarressed if it had reached the year mark without a single update though but here it is i hope you enjoy it

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but th plot...**

**MWth06: **Thanx for the review! You're my first reviwer for this story thank-you so much! As for finding out whether Balise and Phil are soulates lets wait and see... Here is the next chapter deadicated to you!

Now on with the story!

Dragon Days

Chapter Four: Death Of An Agent

Balise came to and when she opened her eyes she realised that there was a blond haired guy looking down at her. His outline was fuzzy for a moment before it clicked that it was Phil North and then with a sickening rush everything came back to her and she sat up sharply.

Almost too late she realised she'd done the wrong thing because she was still in the car and Phil's face told her everything she needed to know. The car rocked and her stomach hit the floor.

The car rocked for a moment and Balise felt sure it was going to go over the side but it managed to stabilise itself and Balise physically sagged with relief. "We have to get out of here." Balise said glancing over the side and not liking the distance between them and the ground.

"We do." Phil agreed looking around for a way out. "This car is going to go at any moment I can see it." Balise said. She wasn't panicking, at least not yet, but what was the point in sugar coating the truth? It was going to over they just had to hope that they could find a way out of it before they went over with it.

"But it isn't going to take us with it." Phil said, "Not if I can help it." He had wormed his way out from behind the steering wheel. And managed to get the drivers side door open as the way the car had spun it had ended up being Balise's side of the car that was balanced over the edge.

"Balise I need you to start moving towards me." Balise looked over the edge and was struck by a sudden bout of fear, fear so strong she froze. The panic she had been fighting to keep away came roaring into her heart at the thought of moving in an already rocky car.

"I can't." She whispered. She thought it amusing that she could take on most of the Night World and fight with magic and not let her fear cloud her senses but now sat in the car she felt as if her limbs were frozen in place.

"You can." Phil said soothingly. "Come on Balise we have to get out of here and I need you to help me help you."

Balise closed her eyes and tried to forget there was virtually nothing between her and a steep fall down into nothing. With physical effort she tore her gaze from her side of the car and forced her to look at Phil and the fact he was trying to help her.

He smiled and his green eyes, so like Poppy's lit up. "That's it sweetheart, come on don't look down. Don't look at anything but me. Come on one step at a time."

She took a deep breath and did as he asked keeping her eyes locked on Phil's and then when she felt brave enough she moved one leg out and then the other and shuffled round.

The car rocked and she froze the car righted itself and she pushed with her hands pushing herself over the handbrake and the gear stick. "That's it Balise come on nearly there."

Phil kept his voice calm even though inside he was screaming. He couldn't believe it. Even after he had sworn he would never become involved in the Night World the night that Poppy and James had left it had found him anyway and now he was helping them.

He was choosing a side in a war that wasn't his own. He wanted nothing more than to be able to turn back but he knew that that wasn't an opinion now and he had known it the moment he offered Balise the help she needed back in El Camino. So for better or for worse he was in this war and all he could do was pray that they all survived to see the end of it.

Balise made it to the other side of the car and Phil grabbed her and pulled her clear. They stood on the road, Balise unable to stop shaking and the Phil had an idea.

"We need to push the car over the cliff." "What?" Balise said weakly. She had to have heard wrong there was no way she had heard right. "We need to make them think they got us. We need to make _everyone _think that we're dead that way no one will be on our tail and we'll be able to do this and then maybe I can go back to the life I had before all this." Phil said his face set in a sober line.

"Everyone?" Balise said quietly. She was in too much shock to really argue. She knew the dangers when she had joined Daybreak to be with her cousin the one person she loved most in the world but she hadn't realised those dangers would come to bite her in the arse so soon.

She hated herself for acting like a distraught damsel but if Phil hadn't been there to help her she was pretty sure she would have one over the cliff. She never wanted to feel fear like that again.

"Everyone." Phil said grimly. She went to argue but he sapped at her. "Do you think I like this idea anymore than you?" He didn't wait for her answer. "My mother has already lost her daughter and if she gets wind of this crash then she's lost her son too! I don't want this but it's the only way. They'll be back."

Balise suddenly understood Phil's reasoning and suddenly for the first time since she had entered El Camino the true Daybreak Agent shone through. She didn't like it but there were so many opportunities to do the things she needed too and no one would expect to look for her if she was dead. She looked at Phil and smirked. "Come on then being dead doesn't work well if people can see that clearly your alive."

Phil smirked and held out is arm. "Shall we Miss-I'll-Be-The-Boss-Now?" Balise shot him a look that said repeat any of this and you will die. Phil shrugged and said, "Would I?"

Together they worked on getting the car over the cliff. It didn't take much and Balise wondered how it had stayed perched so long and the she had a sudden thought and tossed her cell phone over the cliff just as the car blew up. She watched it as a fireball came crawling over the cliff.

Then with a second thought she ran to the side of the cliff and with a few words the fire danced higher and brighter again. Phil looked at her. "Well we've got to make it look like there is nothing left of us. They cant find a body since there isn't any the hotter the fire the less chance there is of that." Phil nodded watching the flames. "That makes sense."

"Come on we have to move," She said finishing the spell grabbing his hand.

"Daybreak and the Night World have eyes everywhere as soon as someone finds it they'll know we have to leave." Phil nodded and together they made their way along the road. Balise was getting nervous because it was in the open but Phil seemed to know where he was going.

"You know this road?" He nodded. "I've drove it enough. We can camp down in one of the caves further along the cliff and then we can move on tomorrow we just have to make sure we don't get caught."

Balise nodded. "Then we had better move." They quickened their pace and then started running when they heard the sirens. "The Night People and Daybreak will be here soon." Balise said. "Thea…" She whispered. "Thea's your cousin right?" Phil asked. "She's my cousin," Balise nodded, "But she might as well be my sister. This is going to kill her."

Phil nodded. "I doubt Poppy will take the news any better when they find out I was in the car with you." Balise hadn't thought of that. "I'm sorry Phil," She said softly. "I'm sorry I dragged you into this." Phil shrugged. "It seems that I was meant to be part of the Night World because no matter what I do it always seems to find me."

The sirens were getting closer and Phil and Balise had to sprint along the road. A little further along Phil tugged Balise into a cave barely big enough for both of them to fit. "We'll hide here until the road clears."

Over the next few hours officials came and went and Balise nearly broke when Thea came to the crash sight saw the car and broke down. Eric was the only thing that was holding her up. But Phil's hand on her shoulder kept her still. In the end Daybreak had been quicker than the Night World but Phil had been right if Daybreak had a mole no matter where he was in the world this would get back to Red Fern since everything else seemed too and this mission was too important.

Thea would kill her when she did find out but for the sake of the mission it was worth it. They watched as Daybreak covered up the crash and left about half an hour after agents from the Night World appeared and took what they could from the crash sight and then left.

Phil watched for another hour in case any humans came across the crash site although there was nothing to find it was possible that they might then he looked at Balise. "Come on. We have to go." Balise nodded and moved. She knew she was being pathetic but she knew that right now she couldn't be strong. She couldn't be her Night World- Bad-Ass-self, not that she had really since she'd joined Daybreak but she couldn't be.

Not now.

She knew she would have to be when they got to where they were going but right now she had just lost her sister for the foreseeable future and she felt like her heart was breaking all over again.

She felt Phil's arm around her and she let him lead her out of the cavern and out onto the road. The only indication that there had been a crash at all where a set of tire treads and even those where faded.

They walked along the road quickly to get out of the open, as quickly as possible they didn't need anyone seeing them now. Especially the ones that thought them dead.

Earlier that day…

Thea looked at Eric, "she's late again." Eric frowned. "I know and somehow I don't think after all the trouble she had getting to El Camino I don't think she'd do it again intentionally."

At that moment Thea realised she'd been that she hadn't done her sweep for Night World activity. She activated her computer and did her sweep. As the Satellite went over a Las Vegas and the surrounding towns and cities that she saw something that made her heart stop.

She saw two cars speeding along a highway and then one crash into the side of the cliff and it hung there. She zoomed in on the licence plate and her heart was in her throat.

"No." Thea said flying towards the door with Eric half a step behind her. "Thea!" Eric called. "Wait!" "No." Thea said "I can't Balise can't wait!"

In ten minutes there was a team put together for recovery and in twenty minutes they were well on their way.

Thea would not sit still. "Can't we go any faster?" She snapped. "I'm trying." David said his teeth gritted. "Cars only go so fast we're already ahead of the recovery team. I'm trying as hard as I can Thea!" "It's not your sister on the line here!" Thea snapped.

"She's my friend." David snapped. "I don't want anything to happen to her either but there is only so much we can do. I can't make this car go any faster. I know from James the Night World agents haven't even set off I'm doing as best as I can."

In her heart Thea knew that was true but she couldn't loose Balise she'd already lost Illenia for the time being and her grandmother had already been killed in this war she couldn't loose Balise as well.

David saw Thea's despair and quick look at Gillian who nodded he pushed the car again and it shot forward with a groan. It obviously didn't like going at 110mph continuously. "If we have an accident along here I am going to kill you." David said not taking his eyes off the road now. "You have my permission." Eric said clutching Thea's hand.

They rounded the corner and how David managed to control the car was beyond Thea's comprehension but she was suddenly pleased that he had been taking lessons from Jez, Morgread and Ash who were some of their best drivers.

But then Thea recognised the road and said, "David slow down. I recognise this." David did as she asked and when she said stop he did his best to come to a complete stop.

"This is it." Thea said softly as they got out the car. Eric looked back up the road and back the way they had came and nodded. "It looks like it see the skid marks on the road?" "Oh Goddes no." Thea moaned. They scouted the site and Thea's heart lurched when Gillian yelled, "I found it!"

Thea had never ran so fast in her life. She got to the side of the road and her heart plummeted. The car had gone over the cliff and all that was left of it was a burnt out shell.

Eric looked at it and swore. Ever the genius he whispered that burnt hotter than any fire usually would. Thea wiped tears from her eyes. "Do you think she got out all right?" Thea scouted the road and picked up her sister's magical signature along with someone else's that seemed similar but she couldn't quite place.

"She was here." Thea said pointing. David came over and nodded grimly. "She will have been look at the tire treads, the car was balancing here." Thea looked over the cliff. "She's alive I know she is." Gillian grabbed Thea's hand. "Sweetie there is no way she could have survived that." Gillian said gently. "And even if she did she would be on the road side waiting for us or have rung to tell us she was in trouble."

Thea shook her head. "I know she's alive." Eric squeezed Thea tighter to her. "We'll send the recovery team down there." David said. "We need to find out what happened." "I'm sorry Thea." Gilliam said tears rolling down her face. "No!" Thea said sobbing. "No. She's not dead. She can't be dead."

"Thea honey, No one could have survived that. Even a witch as strong as your sister." David said softly. That was when Thea broke down. Eric held her and when she couldn't stand up anymore he picked her up and took her back to the car.

David and Gillian waited for the recovery team it didn't take long for them to clean up the mess but what they did say is that there had been two people in the car. Both of whom had died in the crash. When Thea had been told this she got a sick feeling in her stomach.

Balise had been in El Camino at the time there was only one witch there that Thea was certain was with the Daybreakers if he had had to choose a side. Thea just hoped she was wrong otherwise Poppy would be in the same position as her. She vowed to find out before anything was said to Poppy because she had her own mission to run and until they were certain there was no way she was going to say anything.

The Daybreakers returned to their bases with heavy hearts Thea and Eric's even heavier at the thought of having to tell Poppy that her brother could have been involved in the crash.

Meanwhile Balise and Phil now totally under the radar of both groups continued towards their mission with the propose of fulfilling it.


End file.
